LMC Codifying Ordinances 4/14/2001/ 145 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55103 -2044
Phone: (651) 281 -1200 • (800) 925 -1122
TDD (651) 281 -1290
League oJMinnesota Cities LMC Fax: (651) 281 -1299 • LMCIT Fax: (651) 281 -1298
Cities promoting exce%%nce Well Site: http: / /www.Imnc.org
May 14, 2001
To: Mayors, Managers, Administrators and Clerks
Re: Codifying your City's Ordinances
Are your city's ordinances inconsistent and out of date?
Would your city like develop or update a customized city code?
If your answer is yes, put a city code in your budgets for 2002 and 2003. The cost of
a customized code or an updated code can be spread over a two vear period.
The League of Minnesota Cities' Codification Service is available to develop a
customized city code or update a city's existing city code.
In this process, all of the city's ordinances are first edited and arranged into a draft
code. If the city already has a code, the city's ordinances adopted after the code was
adopted will be incorporated, along with the existing code, into a draft code.
The League's unique method of codifying a city's ordinances includes a
comprehensive legal/editorial review of the draft code by the League's experienced
codification attorneys in which many suggestions will be made to improve the code.
Customized codes will be current with the latest federal and state laws, rules and
court decisions.
For a quotation on the cost of a customized code for your city, contact Ray
Bollhauer, Client Relations Director and Attorney for the League of Minnesota
Cities' codification consultant American Legal Publishing Corporation at (800) 445-
5588 or rbollhauer(a�,aol.com.
Additional information on the League's Codification Service is contained in the
enclosed brochure. Please visit our booth at the LMC Annual Conference in Duluth.
If you have any questions, call me at (651) 281 -1221, (800) 925 -1122 or email me at
addicksAlmnc.org. A list of current codification clients is printed on the reverse
side of this letter.
Sincerely W/ aae -
Duke Addicks, Special Counsel, League of Minnesota Cities
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY /AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
THE LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES
NOW SERVING THE CODIFICATION NEEDS
OF 84 MINNESOTA COMMUNITIES!
IN COOPERATION WITH
AMERICAN LEGAL PUBLISHING CORPORATION
(Codification Clients as of May 14, 2001)
24 CUSTOMIZED CODES COMPLETED
Arden Hills 2001
Eagle Bend -1997
Maynard -1999
Belle Plaine -2000
Ellsworth -2000
New Richland -1999
Benson -2000
Kettle River -2001
Newport -1997
Brooten -2000
Hermantown -2001
Rushmore -1999
Brooklyn Park -2000
Hinckley -1999
St. Michael -2001
Buhl -2001
Janesville -2001
Stewartville -1998
Clarissa -2001
La Crescent -1999
Walker -2000
Cloquet -2000
Mayer -2001
Worthington -2000
33 CUSTOMIZED CODES NOW IN PROGRESS
Apple Valley
Fergus Falls
Preston
Backus
Fosston
Princeton
Battle Lake
Grygla
St. Peter
Barnum
Hector
Starbuck
Cambridge
Lindstrom
Thief River Falls
Carver County
Lonsdale
Warroad
Centerville
Menahga
Waseca
Corcoran
North St. Paul
Watkins
Columbia Heights
Ortonville
Waverly
Crookston
Perham
Wayzata
Dassel Pine City Winnebago
27 CITIES USE THE MINNESOTA BASIC CODE
Annandale
Finlayson Milan
Appleton
Halstad Miltona
Bovey
Heidelberg Nerstrand*
Clear Lake
Hitterdal* Pemberton*
Denham
Kiester* Rushford
Dundas
Lake Lillian St. Augusta
East Gull Lake
Leonidas Upsala*
Goodhue
LeRoy Zumbro Falls*
Grand Meadow
Mapleview Waltham
*Cities which
have a customized Minnesota Basic Code.
FOR ALL OF YOUR CODIFICATION NEEDS
CONTACT LMC SPECIAL COUNSEL DUKE ADDICKS
(800) 925 -1122 OR (651) 281 -1221 OR addicksnlmnc.org
CUSTOMIZED CODES
AND UPDATING
EXISTING CODES
The League's unique method of codifying a
city's ordinances, or updating an existing
city code, focuses on comprehensive
editorial /legal assistance to develop a
current code based on the latest federal
and state laws, rules, and court decisions.
The code will be edited for proper
grammar, consistency, and clarity. The
city's ordinances will be organized in
an easy to use format of chapters and
sections.
Customized codes can be kept current.
Ordinances enacted after a code is
adopted can be incorporated into it on an
annual or more frequent basis. Periodic
legal /editorial reviews of the code ensures
that its provisions are always lawful and
enforceable.
Customized codes have a comprehensive
index, are available on disk in a search
and retrieval format and can become part
of a city's Web page.
Existing codes, no matter who prepared
them, can also be brought up to date.
Ordinances enacted since the code was
adopted will be included. The existing
code and ordinances enacted after the
existing code was adopted are brought up
to date as to legality and completeness
through a comprehensive editorial /legal
review.
THE MINNESOTA
BASIC CODE
The Minnesota Basic Code (MBC) is a
complete model code of ordinances designed
specifically for cities with a population of
500 or less. The MBC contains over two
hundred pages of provisions on subjects
typically encountered by small cities.
The MBC is written and updated by LMC
attorneys. The MBC can be adopted "as is"
by smaller cities, or modified to meet local
needs.
The MBC has a comprehensive index and is
available on disk in a search and retrieval
format.
The MBC is sold as a subscription service
with annual supplements. Because it is
updated annually by the inclusion of
replacement pages, the MBC will always be
a current code of ordinances for cities which
adopt it.
The Minnesota Basic Code may also useful
to larger cities that wish to have a refer-
ence book containing a comprehensive set
of model ordinances which will be annually
updated to conform to changes in state and
federal law, rules, and court decisions.
LMC CODIFICATION
SERVICE
Codification services are provided by
the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC)
in cooperation with the League's
codification consultant, American Legal
Publishing Corporation (ALP), one of the
nations largest producers of city codes.
An LMC attorney coordinates the
development of a customized code or
the updating of an existing code. The
LMC attorney can assist smaller cities in
adopting the Minnesota Basic Code and
tailoring it to local needs.
ALP assists the LMC attorney by perform-
ing the editorial and publishing aspects
of the codification process. ALP provides
a quick turnaround time, numerous
format options, code maintenance
services, computerized search programs
and can host a city's code on its Web
site for immediate access through a
city's Web site or on -line.
The LMC attorney performs a compre-
hensive legal review on each customized
code, updated code and supplemented
basic code, including a written legal
analysis based on state and federal laws,
rules and court decisions. Both LMC and
ALP have hundreds of sample ordinances
on a large variety of topics which may
be included in a city's code.
CUSTOMIZED CODES
AND UPDATING
EXISTING CODES
The League's unique method of codifying
city's ordinances, or updating an existing
city code, focuses on comprehensive
editorial /legal assistance to develop a
current code based on the latest federal
and state laws, rules, and court decisions.
The code will be edited for proper
grammar, consistency, and clarity. The
city's ordinances will be organized in
an easy to use format of chapters and
sections.
Customized codes can be kept current.
Ordinances enacted after a code is
adopted can be incorporated into it on an
annual or more frequent basis. Periodic
legal /editorial reviews of the code ensures
that its provisions are always lawful and
enforceable.
Customized codes have a comprehensive
index, are available on disk in a search
and retrieval format and can become part
of a city's Web page.
Existing codes, no matter who prepared
them, can also be brought up to date.
Ordinances enacted since the code was
adopted will be included. The existing
code and ordinances enacted after the
existing code was adopted are brought up
to date as to legality and completeness
through a comprehensive editorial /legal
review.
THE MINNESOTA
BASIC CODE
The Minnesota Basic Code (MBC) is a
complete model code of ordinances designed
specifically for cities with a population of
500 or less. The MBC contains over two
hundred pages of provisions on subjects
typically encountered by small cities.
The MBC is written and updated by LMC
attorneys. The MBC can be adopted "as is"
by smaller cities, or modified to meet local
needs.
The MBC has a comprehensive index and is
available on disk in a search and retrieval
format.
The MBC is sold as a subscription service
with annual supplements. Because it is
updated annually by the inclusion of
replacement pages, the MBC will always be
a current code of ordinances for cities which
adopt it.
The Minnesota Basic Code may also useful
to larger cities that wish to have a refer-
ence book containing a comprehensive set
of model ordinances which will be annually
updated to conform to changes in state and
federal law, rules, and court decisions.
LMC CODIFICATION
SERVICE _J
Codification services are provided by
the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC)
in cooperation with the League's
codification consultant, American Legal
Publishing Corporation (ALP), one of the
nations largest producers of city codes.
An LMC attorney coordinates the
development of a customized code or
the updating of an existing code. The
LMC attorney can assist smaller cities in
adopting the Minnesota Basic Code and
tailoring it to local needs.
ALP assists the LMC attorney by perform-
ing the editorial and publishing aspects
of the codification process. ALP provides
a quick turnaround time, numerous
format options, code maintenance
services, computerized search programs
and can host a city's code on its Web
site for immediate access through a
city's Web site or on -line.
The LMC attorney performs a compre-
hensive legal review on each customized
code, updated code and supplemented
basic code, including a written legal
analysis based on state and federal laws,
rules and court decisions. Both LMC and
ALP have hundreds of sample ordinances
on a large variety of topics which may
be included in a city's code.